Primary-election lock-out for voting-machines.



W. J. LAUSTERER. PRIMARY ELECTION LOOK-OUT FOR VOTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1908.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

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W. J. LAUSTERER.

PRIMARY ELECTION LOOK-OUT FOR VOTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILEDJULY 29, 1908.

Patented Aug" ,7 2 SHEETS-$HEET 2.

LaaJ/rer i-My invention is ivotmgahzitzhme described in the patent is- UNITED srArEsr TENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. LAUSTLERER, or rannsirowmtunw xonxyessmnoa r0 nnrmn vorme Tron or new YORK)" MACHINE commmnor ROCHESTER, AND JAMES'IOWN, NEW YORK, A conrbaa- PRIMARY-ELEGTIDhT LOCK-(513T FOR VOTING-MACHINES.

To aZZ it may concern:- I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM 'rnnnn, a citizen of the United States, resid- Specification of Letters Patent. h Application filed July 29,19Q8. Serial No. 446,014;

on; at Jamestown, in the county of Chan-1 tauqiia andState of New York, have in.- vented certain new and useful Improvementsin 'PrimaryFIection Lock-Outs for Voting-Machines, of which the followingis a specification.

an improvement on the tions. This lockout is easily removable I .r'o'm the machme when it is necessary to use the maclnne-ingeneral elections.

in primary elections where this inven tion is to he used i'tw ll be understood that the primaries of .allof the parties are held at the same time" and place and that one machine is adjusted to carrythe names of.

all of the candidates of'the various parties. If the ordinary machine were labeled with the names of the candidates of the various parties," any voter might vote for some of the candidates of one party and for other candidates of another party.- This, however, is strictly forbidden by the primary election laws of many of the States, such laws providing, that the voter must announce his party affiliation at the primary before he allowed to vote.- and then will only be allowed to'vote for the candidates of the particular party with which he is affiliated. It is understood, of course, that the object of the primary election is to select those candidates which will make up the party ticket in the regular election follow ing thereafter. In order to restrict the voter to candidatesof his own party in primary elections, I have devised certain attiieinnents which may be applied to the hoard oi the machine, and the effect of which is to permit the election ol'licers to release-the toting devices belonging to the candidates of one party at a time "holding looked voting devices of all of the 'candidates-of the other parties. 1

The object of my invention is to restrict the successive voters in theiroperation of.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

the machine to the particular parts of the machine which their party afiiliation entitles them'to vote on.

1 is a front view of the front plate of the machine, showing the lookout devices placed on the keyboard of the machine, Fig. 2 is across. section on the line 2""? in Fig 1.

Fig; 3 is a perspectiveview of the upper lefthand-corner of the keyboard shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail of the lock, Fig. 5 is an end-elevation of the bars which look the keys. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the right hand end of one of the locking bars. In this specification and the accompany ing drawings, like numerals refer to like parts. i

p in the accompanyingdrawings, reference numeral 1 refers to the front plate of the machine, and it consistsof a vertical keyboard on the front of which pointers are pivoted which may-be turned down to vot- In the' accompanying drawings, Figure mg position. The interlocking mechanism and counting mechanism and-other parts which are'placc'd behind'f-the keyboard of the machine need not be illustrated for the purpose of showing-this invention.

On the keyboard are shown the pointers 2-42 arranged in horizontal rows, each of which pointers terminates in a little handle that projects outwardly from it. At the top and, bottom of the keyboard is placed a T iron 33 primarily for the purpose of stillening the front plate and incidentally for the purpose of providing a bearing for the frame of the, primary election device here described. The primary election device consists of a frame having upright memhers and horizontal members connected thereto 5-4). At the bottom this frame engages with pins or lugs EEK-27 mounted on the T 'iron 3 in 'any suitable manner, so that the frame mustbe lifted up to disengage it from the support on which the frame rests. At the top of the frame is pro-- vidcd pins fi6,shown in detail in Fig. 2, which pins pass through holes in the T ironil atthe top. When the frame is placed on the keyboard of the machine and thus holding the frame firmly in place.

These pins are spring pressed, so as to maintain engagement with the T iron 3.

At suitable intervals between the uprights are pivoted swinging bars orplates 7-7 shown perspebtive in Fig. 3. At the left hand end these bars each havea stud 8 that enga' es with the upright t on the left of the ame. These'bars also have a stud 9 at their right hand end, that engages with the upright 4 on the right of the machine. Both of these studs are long studs and around the stud 9 is coiledv a spring which presses against .the pin 10 so as to 11 engaging a corresponding hole with the upright 4, the bar 7 is held at its right hand end from being turned down. It is also positively held at its left hand end from slots 94- in the bar 21.

being turned down in the manner that I will now describe.

Fastened to the upright 4 at the left hand end of the machine is a lock 13. This lock has a bolt 14 thereon, which controls a vertical sliding bar 15. At regular intervals thereon thisbar is recessed as shown at 16 in Fig. 3. Opposite each of these recesses occurs a sliding bolt 17, which bolt at its left hand end has a stud 18 projecting into the slot 16. These bolts 17 are mounted to slide on the studs 25 on the upright 4 at the left of the frame, and to engage with said studs each bolt 17 is provided with a slot 26.v The stud 18-passes through a slot 22 in the bar 21. by which it is held to a limited horizontal movement only. At its right hand end each bolt 17 is upset to engage with the bar 7. T1": the key is inserted in the lock 13 and the bolt 14- thcreof is drawn up, the bar 15 will be raised so that the horizontal partof the slot 111 is opposite the stud 18 on the bolt 17, in which position the bolt 17 can be drawn to the left out of engagement with the bar 7. tween the bar 15 and each of the bolts 17, so that any of these bolts 17 can be placed in locking or unlocking position at will. It a bolt 17 is placed to the right it will lock its bar 7. and it it is placed to the left it will release its bar 7. The bar 16 is mounted to slide on the bar 29. and for that purpose provided with studs 2 that engage with Ho I gy l. Sl'lll'l 19 is pla ed on the baclt ot the boll 17 so as to prevent cndwise movement of the bar 7 When the bar posit-ion.

Similar connections exist beas well, it being. remembered that me bar 7 cannot be turned down until it is first drawn to the left far enough todisengage its stud 11d from the upright 4: on the right hand s1 e.

lVith the bar 15 unlocked and raised, the bolts 1717 can all be placed in unlocking position, in which posit-ion all of the unlocked bars 7 can be returned to the vertical position, and other bars 7 can be turned down therefrom, afterwhich any or all of the bolts 1717 can be returned to their locking position, thus preventing the bars 7 from being changed from the position in which they have been placed, after which the bar 15 can be returned to locking position, thus holding the partsin the adgustment In'ade.

If the Republican candidates are placed on the'top party line, and the Democratic candidates are placed on the second party line, and the Prohibition candidates are placed on the third party line, etc., a separate bar as above described will, be provided'for each of these lines of keys.

It now a Republican voter presents himself and states that he wishes to vote on the Republican ticket, the election ofiicers will unlock the top bar and turn it down,

and lock the remaining bars in their vertical They will then withdraw the key from the lock 13 and leave the voter in secrecy to vote as he wishes on the candidates of that party. It a second Republican voter comes, the machine need not be changed, but if the next voter is a Democrat instead, then the election ofiicers must unlock the lock 13. move the bolt 17 to corrcspond, replacing the bars 7 on the top row and turning the bars 7 down on the second row, after which he will lock them in these positions, after which the Democratic voter can vote on the candidates of his party and none other.

It is usually the case that more than one candidate is running for each otlice on each. party in the primary election in orde to secure the nomination for the regular erection. Thus, for the otiice of mayor, there may be 1 or 5 candidates on the Republican party and a similar number for each of the other oi'lices. In this case it will not be possible to place all of these candidates on the first party row, but two or three party rows will have to be devoted to the Republi- T such bars may be turned down at a single operation or locked at a single operation, as the emergency may require. In Fig. I have shown an end view of such a grid 5 turned down, the grid 12 in that case serving to lock or release two party rows of keys at one operation. It will be understood in this connection that the term party row of keys is not used with its ordinary signifi- 1o canoe, but merely refers to the row of keys as they are arranged on the machine for the use of separate parties in a regular election, the first horizontal row of keys being one party row fora regular election, and the sec 15 0nd horizontal row being the second party row for a regular election, etc.

The lockout bars 7 are of substantially the same length and width as the label holders. This appears from Figs. 1 and 5. This makes it possible for the lockout bars to fill a double purpose, namely, lock out the keys by party rows and conceal the label holders and their contents, namely, the labels having thereon. the names of the candidates. These label holders are substantiallyas shown in Patent No. 886,061. When the keys are un locked by dropping the bars, the ballot labels are exposed with the names of the candidates thereon.

of the-candidates that can be voted on are exposed, all others being concealed. It will also be understood that all the keys are at all times exposed and accessible but are positively locked against operation by the bars 5 used in the lookout except when the bars are moved to release them;

two or more party rows of keys for one party, in which case the candidates will be arranged on the keyboard in such manner as to best utilize the space thereof, as well. as to serve the convenience of the voter. If there were six candidates for the oliice of mayor in a Republican party, and the Republican party occupied three party rows on the machine, the Republican candidates for mayor would occupy the first two office lines of the first three party rows, six keys in all. As but one of these could be voted for by any one voter, the interlock would have to be adjiisted accordingly at the back of the machine previous to the election, but this has been fully described in a prior application and need not be repeated here.

In this manner I have devised a primary election lockout suitable for dividing the.

-machine among the various parties interested in the primary election, sothat the 50 election oflicers at will may confine the voter to voting on the party of his choice, permitting him to freely exercise his legal rights thereon and preventing him from voting on any other party, the lookout arrangements being capable of easy and rapid changes to In this way only the names.

As above pointed out, in a primary'elec. tion it is frequently necessary to combine position and exposing the label holder and meet the requirements of the politics of the voters regardless of the order 1n which they I may present themselves.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and patentable is as follows:

1. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard, keys pivoted thereon and arranged in parallel rows, abar mounted ad- .1

jacent each row of keys so as to lock said keys against operation, said bar being mounted to swing away from said keys to release them for voting 0 eration, label holders between said rows oi ke s, each of said bars concealing a label hol er and its contents in the one position and exposing 8 the label holder and its contents in the other position. Y 2. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard, keys pivoted thereon and arranged in parallel rows, a bar mounted on 35 v the outside of the keyboard and adjacent to each row of keys so as to lock said keys' against operation, said bar being mounted to swing away from said keys to release them for voting operation, label holders between said rows-of keys, each of said bars 7 1 concealing a label holder and its contents" in the one position and exposing the label holder and its contents in the other position.

3. The combination in a voting mach-inc of a keyboard with keys pivoted thereon arranged in parallel rows, a bar .for eachrow of keys, projections on said keys for engagingwith said bars while in lockin position, said bars being movable either to" ocking or unlocking position, to lock the keys against movement or release them for votmgfo eration, label holders between said rows of e s, each of said bars concealing a. label hol er and its contents in the one position and ex posing the label holder and its contents'in the other position.

4:.- The combination in a votin machine ofa keyboard with keys pivoted t ereon arranged in parallel rows, a bar for each row of keys, projections onsaid ke s for engag ing with said bars while in Ice ing position, said bars being movable either to locking-or unlocking posltion, to lock the keys against movement or release them for voting operation, said bars being mounted on the outside of the machine, label holders between said rows of keys, eachof said bars-concealing a label holder and its contents inthe one its contents in the other position. 1 The combination in a voting'machine of a keyboard having pivot-ed keys arranged thereon in parallel partyrows, a bar .removably applied to each of said party rows obl'zi keys to lock said ke s1 against' voting operation, means forhol ing said bars in: looking osition, label holders between said rows of Keys, each of said bars concealing ,a label holder and its contents in the one position means being movable in part or in whole,---. 1

and exposing the label holder and its contents in the other position.

6. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard having keys arranged thereon in parallel party rows, a bar removably applied to each of said party rows of keys to lock said keys against voting operation, means for holding said bars in locking position, said bars being mounted onthe outside of the machine, label holders between said rows of keys, each of said bars concealing a label holder and its contents in the one position and exposing the label holder and its contents in the other position. 7

7. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard having pivoted voting devices thereon, means applied to the keyboard of the machine for locking said voting devices against operation by party rows, said means being movable in part or in whole, so as to unlock one or more of said party rows of keys for voting operation, label holders adjacent to said voting devices, each of said means operating to conceal alabel holder and its contents in the one position andoperating to expose the label holder and its contents in the other position.

8. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard having voting devices thereon, means applied to the outside of the keyboard of the machine for locking said voting devices against operation by party rows, said as to unlock one or more of said party rows of keys for voting operation, label holders adjacent to said voting devices, each of said means operating to conceal a label holder and its contents in the one position and operating to expose the label holder and its contents in the other position.

9. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard, pivoted voting devicesthercon, lockout bars for holding saidvoting devii-ts, ,said lockout bars being niovably mounted on. said keyboard, the lock for controllingsaid lockout bars, label holders adjacent to said voting devices, each of said lockout bars operating to conceal a label holder and its contents when iitone position and operating to expose the label holder and itsronteuts when in the other position.

10. The combination in a voting machine of a: lnzyboard, voting devices thereon, lockout bars for holding said voting devices, said lockout bars movably mounted on the outside of said keyboard, the lOClC l GY' controllin said lockout: bars label holders adh I c 9 n acent to said vot ng devices, each of said l itlttfllt'lititfi operating to conceal a label I holderand its contents when in one position and ojierating to expose the label holder and its contents. when in the other llOrill'lOll.

'11., :lnar voting machine, the combination ol' jarkeylsioard', keys pivotci thereon and arranged in party rows, a locking iar pivoted under each party row, said bar being movable to position to obstruct the voting movement of said keys and away from'said keys to permit the voting operation thereof, label holders adjacent to said keys, each of said docking bars operating to conceal a label holder and its contents when in one position and operating to expose the label holder and its contents when in the other position.

12. In a voting machine, the combinationiof a keyboard, keys pivoted thereon and arranged in partyrows',means for locking said keys by party crows against voting opeiaiiion, said meanscomprising a frame removably applied to the front of the key plate, bars pivotally mounted in said frame,

for noveinent to engage with the keys, one

bar for each party row of keys and means for holding said keys in looking position.

13. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard, keys pivoted thereon in party rows, a frame mounted. on said keyboard, bars pivotedon said frame, one for each row ofkeysgand mountedto' swing toward and away from said keyboard .and from its ow of keys, to lock or release said keys bolts to holdsaid bars in position to lock said keys, a single bar to lock said bolts and a lock for saidbar.

14. In a locking device for lockoutbars,

the combination of a stationary upright bar having-horizontal slots therein, a bar movable vertically mounted to slide ad acentto said stationarybar U shaped recesses in said movable b ar,-b0lts mounted adjaeentto said.

ounted to slide ad acent tolsaid-stat on iy'b'ar, U' shaped recesses in blehaflbolts mounted adjacent to said stat onary har and having studs engaging with the, horizontal slots therein and with t U shaped recesses in the movable bar, 5 id bolts being freely movable back and forth when the movable bar is up, and being held at either end ofitsmovement only when the movable bar is down, a lock for holdingsaid movable bar down.

16. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard, a frame mounted thereon, bars pivotally mounted in said frame, said liars havinga small endwise movement on their pi vots, a stud on each of said bars, a recess on. the frame for each, of said-studs with whicl'i'said stud can engrgeto lock the bar against rotation. i i

17. The combination in a voting machine board for locking said voting devices against operation by party rows, said means operating upon each party row separately or upon two or more rows collectively.

19. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard having pivoted voting devices thereon arranged in party rows, a frame mounted thereon, bars pivoted in said frame to lock said keys by party rows, connections between a plurality of said bars whereby a plurality of party rows of keys may be locked collectively at oneoperation.

20. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard, keys pivoted thereon, a frame removably mounted on said keyboard said frame having bars pivotally mounted thereon with which to control th 5' operation of said keys.

21. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard, keys pivoted thereon, a T iron at the top and bottom of said keyboard, a frame mounted on said keyboard, said frame having a lower and an upper member,

said frame having recesses in its lowest member, pins on the T iron below the keyboard to engage with said member, spring pressed pins slidingly mounted on the upper member of said fran'ie, recesses in the T iron at the top of the keyboard with which said pins engage to hold said frame in place.

The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard with keys pivoted thereon arranged in parallel rows, a bar for each row of keys, projections von said. keys for engaging with said bars while in looking position, said bars being movable either to locking or unlocking position, to lock the keys against movement or release them for voting operation, by rows, and means for positively resetting and locking all the keys on the machine ?after each voting operation.

23. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard with keys pivoted thereon arranged in parallel rows, a bar for each row of keys, projections on said keys for engaging with said'bars .while in locking position, said bars being movable either to locking or unlocking position, to lock the keys against movement or release them for voting operation by rows, said bars being mounted on the outside of the machine, and means for positively resetting and locking all the keys on the machine after each voting operation.

24. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard having pivoted keys arranged thereon in parallel party rows, a pivoted bar removably applied to each of said party row of keys to lock said keys against voting operation, and means for holding said bars in looking position, and means for positively resetting and looking all the keys on the machine after each voting operation.

25. The combination in a voting machine of a keyboard having keys arranged thereon in parallel party rows, a pivoted bar removably applied to each of said party rows of keys to locksaid keys against voting oporation, means for holding said bars in looking position, said bars being mounted on the outside of the machine, and means for positively resetting and locking all the keys on the machine after each voting operation.

In testimony whereof I atiixmy signature in presence of-two witnesses.

\VILLIAM J. LAUSTERER.

Witnesses:

E'rnen C. Minnnn, ALEXANDER B. Oonolmns. 

